Safety binding for skis

ABSTRACT

A binding including a boot support member, a pivot member secured to the underside of the boot support member, and a receiver which releasably holds the pivot member. The pivot member is generally under the arch of the boot and it includes two sockets which are in a fore-and-aft relationship, preferably tandem, along a line which parallels the center line of the ski. A pair of spring loaded plungers in the receiver engage the sockets to hold the boot support member securely, but permit the boot support member to separate from the receiver when the skier&#39;&#39;s leg would otherwise be subjected to a dangerous torque. A pair of grips attached to the support member secure the boot to the boot support member. The front grip includes a handle which is movable between locking and unlocking positions. In the locking position, a cable is drawn taught over the toe of the boot. Alternate embodiments of my binding include: (1) a pivot member attached to a ski and a receiver connected to the boot support member, (2) a boot which includes a pair of spaced sole portions each having a spring loaded plunger adapted to releasably connect to a pivot member secured to a ski, and (3) a boot which includes spaced sole portions each having a socket adapted to releasably connect to a pivot member secured to a ski and including a pair of spring loaded plungers.

United States Patent Wulf Nov. 11, 1975 SAFETY BINDING FOR SKIS [76]Inventor: Elmer 13. Wulf, 17767 Baker, [57] ABSTRACT Country Club Hills.11]. 60477 A binding including a boot support member. a pivot a membersecured to the underside of the boot support [*1 Flled' 1&1974 member.and a receiver which releasably holds the PP 451,972 pivot member. Thepivot member is generally under the arch of the boot and it includes twosockets which 2SA06/ are in a forcflqdflft relationship prefeFabl-vtandem. [58] Field fsearch H 25 K along a line \vhlch parallels thecenter lme of the ski. H35 A, 280/1135 E l1'35 5 A pan of spring loadedplungers 1n the rece1ver enl i gage the sockets to hold the boot supportmember sccurely. but permit the boot support member to sepa- [56]References Cited rate from theb receicxl'er whgn the skiers leg wguldoth% erwise be su jecte to a angerous torque. pair 0 UNITED STATESPATENTS grips attached to the support member secure the boot 3.061.325/1962 GlZlSS 280/1 [.35 D to the boot upport member The front includes 13.489l24 H1970 Gertsch fit Zll 1 280 K handle hich i movable betweenlocking and unlock- 3 ing positions. In the locking position, a cable isdrawn 3175865 11/1973 Smolka et 51 Z g D taught over the toe of theboot. Alternate embodi- 1785:6618 1/1974 Marker .T. 580/1 11 R mems ofmy bmding include: (1) Pi)t member 3.834 723 9/1974 Erlebach 280/1135 1)tached Ski and receifl Connected to the boot 3838.866 10/1974 D'Alessioet al 280/1135 K Support member, a boot which includes 11 P Of FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS spaced sole portions each having a spring loadedplunger adapted to releasably connect to a pivot mem- 2 ber secured to aski, and (3) a boot which includes Primary E.\'mni11erRobert R. SongAssistant E.\'a171i11e1'Milt0n L. Smith Attorney, Agent, or FirmLee &Smith spaced sole portions each having a socket adapted to releasablyconnect to a pivot member secured to a ski and including a pair ofspring loaded plungers.

37 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures l; aller- U.S. Patent N0v.11, 1975Sheetl0f6 3,918,732

us Patent NOV.11,1975 Sheet2of6 3,918,732

/ I MIIIWH US. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 Sheet 4 of6 3,918,732

P/VW" POM 7 Z X U.S. Patent Nov. 11,1975 Sheet50f6 3,918,732

US. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 Sheet60f6 3,918,732

SAFETY BINDING FOR SKIS BACKGROUND Leg injuries are the bane of skiers.To mininize or avoid leg injuries a safety binding is used to releasablyconnect the ski boot to the ski. When the torque acting on a skiers legexceeds a certain maximum, the binding automatically releases theconnection between the ski boot and ski and the ski and boot separate.There are a wide variety of bindings available, but knowledgeable skiersare aware of their shortcomings. If a skier distributes his weightimproperly, or if the skiers leg is subjected to a momentary shock whichwould not injure or break his leg, many conventional bindingsinadvertently release. On the other hand, the release mechanisms ofconventional bindings often function improperly or inadequately, so thatbindings fail to release when necessary and the skiers leg is injured orbroken.

Depending on conditions, torques having different directions act on askiers leg. A twisting torque tends to twist the leg laterally to theright or the left. A forward torque tends to push the skier forward. Abackward torque tends to push the skier backward. The tibia bone of theskiers leg can ordinarily withstand a forward or backward torque morereadily than a twisting torque. Consequently, when a twisting torque isexerted on the skiers leg, the binding must release more readily thanwhen a forward or backward torque is acting on the skiers leg.Therefore, the ideal binding should have different releasecharacteristics depending on the direction of the torque exerted on theleg.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The safety binding of this invention providesreliable, repeatable release, but has different release characteristicsin accordance with the direction of torque acting on the skiers leg.

Briefly, this binding has first connection means secured to the boot,second connection means secured to the ski, and means for releasablycoupling the first and second connection means together so that underpredetermined load conditions, the coupling releases the connectionbetween the connecting means in the forward, backward, lateral, orcombined directions. A pair of socket means are disposed in a zonedirectly below the arch of the boot. These socket means are in aforeand-aft relationship, preferably in tandem, generally along thelength of the ski, and each socket is in one of the connecting means.Plunger means in the other connecting means engage at least one of thesocket means. The plunger means are spring loaded so that they normallyare urged into engagement with the socket means. However, underpredetermined load conditions, the holding force of the spring loadedplunger means is overcome and the plunger means disengage from thesocket means to uncouple the connecting means. During release in thelateral direction, only one of the socket means serves as a fulcrumabout which the boot may pivot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view ofthe binding of the present invention showing a ski boot releasablyconnected to a ski.

FIG. 2 is a plan view, with sections broken away, of the boot supportmember and receiver for the boot support member in a side by siderelationship.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the boot support member being inserted into thereceiver to connect the boot support member and receiver.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 2 showingone of the receivers connectors.

FIG. 5 is a lateral detailed section of a pivot member of the binding ofthe present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a plan view, with sections broken away, showing the bootsupport member pivoting about the forward socket of the pivot memberattached to the boot support member.

FIG. 8 is a plan view, with sections broken away, showing the bootsupport member pivoting about the rearward socket in the pivot member.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view, with sections broken away, showingthe binding releasing in the forward direction.

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view, with sections broken away, showingthe binding releasing in the backward direction.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged detailed view of one of the sockets in the pivotmember.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 12--12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1313 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14a is a diagram illustrating a relatively long lever arm employedin prior art safety bindings; and FIG. 14b is a diagram showing therelatively short lever arm employed in the binding of the presentinvention.

FIG. 15 is a sideelevational view, with sections broken away, of analternate embodiment of the binding of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 15-15 of FIG. 15.

FIG. 16a is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the nose of a plungerillustrated in FIG. 16.

FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of a ski boot with an alternateembodiment of the binding of the present invention built into the soleof the boot.

FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of another boot having still anotheralternate form of the binding of the present invention built into thesole of the boot.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 19-19 of FIG. 18.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIGS. 1 through 6,the binding 10 of the present invention releasably attaching a ski boot14 to a ski 12 has three principal components, namely, a ski bootsupport member 16, a pivot member 18 secured to the support member, anda pivot member receiver 20 secured to the ski. This binding 10 firmlyholds the ski boot 14 to the ski 512 under normal conditions, butwhenever a dangerously high torque exerts itself on a skiers leg, thebinding 10 releases the connection between the pivot member and receiver20, and the boot 14 with attached support member 16 separates from theski l2 and attached receiver.

To illustrate, if there is an excess twisting torqueexerted on a skiersleg, the binding releases in a lateral direction, either to the right orleft depending on the direction of the torque. If an excess forwardtorque is exerted on the skiers leg, the binding 10 releases in theforward direction. If an excess backward torque is exreleases in theforward direction, the backward direc- I tion, the lateral direction tothe right or the left, or a combination, for example, forward andlaterally to the right, forward and laterally to the left, backward andlaterally to the right, or backward and laterally to the left.

The boot support member 16 includes a rectangular sole plate 22 which issubstantially coextensive with the sole 140 of the ski boot 14. Asconventional, the ski boot 14 has offset ledges 24 and 26, respectivelyat its toe 14b and heel 14a, which coact with suitable rear and frontgrips 30 and 28. The rear and front grips 30 and 28 are similar, andidentical components will be given the same numbers except thecomponents of the rear grip 30 will also be given a prime superscript.Each grip 28 and 30 includes a pair of angle rods 32, 32' havingthreaded ends 34, 34' and 36, 36. The ends 34 and 34' are, respectively,threaded into aligned holes 38 and 40 in opposite sides 42 and 43 of theedge of the threaded into pairs of receptacles 44, 44 Flexible steelwire cables 48, 48 extend between the pairs of receptacles 44, 44, withthe opposed ends of these cables passing through openings 50, 50' in theends of the receptacles. Each of the cables 48, 48' is retained in thereceptacles 44, 44, for example, by means of small, solid cylinders (notshown) soldered to the opposed ends of the cables. The cylinders,received within the receptacles 44, 44', have a diameter larger than theopenings 50, 50' in the receptacles, and consequently, the cylindersprevent the ends of the cable from slipping out of the receptacles.Coils 52, 52 are wound respectively about the cables 48, 48 and serve toprotect the cables and prevent the cables from scratching the boot orotherwise causing damage.

There are extra holes 54 in the edges of the sole plate 22, permittingthe rods 32, 32' to be removed from one pair of holes and screwed intoan adjacent pair of holes. This, plus the fact that the receptacles 44,44' can be unscrewed slightly, allows the grips 28 and 30 to accommodatea wide range of different sized boots.

In accordance with one feature of my invention, the grip 28 at the toe14b of the boot 14 is manually releasable by means of a handle 56. Thishandle 56 has a curvature generally conforming to the toe 14b and instep14d of the boot 14, and is connected to the cable 48. Specifically,between the extreme tips 58 and 60 of the handle 56 there is an aperture62 through which passes the cable 48 and its encasing wire coil 52. Thehandle 56 is movable between a locking position as shown in lines inFIG. 1 and an unlocking position as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. Allconventional closing handles of which the applicant is aware are locatedat the heel of the soleplate due primarily to the more standard heelconfiguration in boots. The closing handle 56 is designed to accommodatea wide range of boot toe configurations and is much more convenient forthe skier to operate upon entry.

As best shown in FIGS. and 6, the pivot member 18 is a generallycylindrical piece secured by screws 72 to the underside 22b of the soleplate 22. The height of the receiver is slightly greater than that ofthe pivot member 18. Thus the bottom of the pivot member 18 is displacedslightly above the surface 12a of the ski 12. This avoids frictionduring release. Four sockets 74, 75,

4 76 and 77, disposed 90 relative to each other, are in the arcuatesidewall 18a of the pivot member 18. These sockets 74 through 77 areessentially hemispherical indentations in the sidewall 18a, and eachsocket includes an internal socket wall 74a, 75a, 76a, respectively, androunded edges 74b, 75b, 76b, and 77b respectively, formed where thepivot member sidewall 18a meets the respective socket walls. As will beexplained below in connection with FIGS. 11 through 13,

sockets. However, by removing the screws 72, then eigher inverting thepivot member 18, or simply rotating the pivot member 90, or both, andreinserting the screws, sockets having different release characteristicsare positioned to coact with the receiver 20. As shown,

a shim 19 is between the boot support member 22 and" pivot member 18.When the pivot member 18 is in-. verted, the shim is removed. Thus theoperative sockets remain properly aligned with the receiver 20 and thesurface of the pivot member 18 remains displaced above the ski surface12a.

I have discovered that the reliable, repeatable operation of my skibinding 10 requires that the operative pair of complementary sockets, inthis instance sockets 76 and 77, be located in a fore-and-aftrelationship, preferably in tandem, generally along the length of theski 12, in a zone directly below the arch A of the ski boot 14. Thiszone corresponds to the space below the arch A between the underside 22bof the sole plate 22 and the top surface 12a of the ski 12.Specifically, each socket 76 and 77 is displaced inwardly from the endofthe boot 14 to which it is proximate a distance equal to at least /3 thetotal length of the boot 14. This ensures Preferably, the distancebetween one socket 77 and the boot heel 14a about equals the distancebetween the other socket 76 and the boot toe 14b. That is, the;

sockets 76 and 77 are about equidistant from the ends of the boot towhich they are proximate. Normally, the

individual sockets of any pair of sockets are displaced from each othera distance in the range of from 1.5 to.

3 inches, most preferably about 2 inches. The operative sockets 76 and77 are opposed to each other along a common line B which is directlyabove and parallel to the longitudinal center line C of the ski 12. Thisline B is displaced a distance of from A to 1 inch above the top surface12a of the ski l2. Optionally, the socket may be made from or coatedwith an anti-friction material to insure reliable release.

The receiver 20 comprises a pair of generally flat,

spaced connectors 80 and 82 secured to the ski 12 by screws 84. The gap86 between the connectors 80 and 82 has a width slightly greater thanthe width of the pivot member and has open sides 86a and 86b adapted toreceive the pivot member 18 by way of a side entry as illustrated inFIG. 3. The height of the connectors 80 I and 82 is slightly greaterthan the height of the pivot member 18 so that, with the pivot member inthe gap 86 between the connectors 80 and 82 and aligned so that thelongitudinal axis of the sole plate 22 is parallel to the line B, theunderside 22b of the sole plate 22 rests on the tops 80a and 82a of theconnectors. The points of contact are at various points depending uponthe direction of flex of the ski. Preferably, the underside 22b of thesole plate 22 or the tops 80a and 82a of the connectors 80 and 82, orboth, are coated with an anti-friction material resistant to icing suchas a mixture of a fluorocarbon polymer and ceramic. Hence, thesesurfaces will slide past each other with minimum friction during therelease of the binding under varying load conditions on the binding.

One connector 82 is shown in detail in FIG. 4. The connector 82 has aninternal cylindrical chamber 88 which is aligned so that thelongitudinal axis of the chamber is co-extensive with the line B. Oneend of the chamber has a slightly enlarged threaded opening 96 and theother end of the chamber has a slightly enlarged annular opening 97which holds an annular seal 94. Adjacent to the seal 94, in a groove inthe internal wall of the chamber 88, is a snap ring 92. Within thechamber 88 is a hollow cylindrical bushing 117 which surrounds agenerally cylindrical plunger 98 aligned to engage the socket 76. Theplunger 98 has a rounded head 102 which passes through the centralopening in the annular seal 94 and mates with the socket 76, fittingsnug against the side wall 76a. At the shank end of the plunger 98 thereis a snap ring 99, retaining a washer 101 on the end of the plunger. Aboss 103, extending outwardly from the back of the plunger 98, retains acompression spring 106 that normally urges the plunger head 102 intoengagement with its socket 76. A lug 108 threaded into the opening 96serves to control the tension of the spring 106. By adjusting theposition of the lug 108 in the threaded opening 96, the tension in thespring 106 is either increased ordecreased. The snap ring 92, coactingwith the bushing 1 17 and washer 101, retains the plunger 98 within thechamber 88. When the pivot member 18 turns, the plunger 98 is depressedand the spring 106 is compressed. When the plunger head 102 disengagesfrom the socket 76, the binding 10 releases and the spring 106 urges theplunger 98 outward, with the ring 92 limiting the outward movement ofthe plunger.

The connector 80 is identical in construction to the connector 82,except its plunger 100 is aligned to mate with the socket 77, and itscompression spring 110 (FIG. 2) holds the plunger firmly in the socket77. Spring tension is adjusted by a lug 113 (FIG. 2) secured within achamber 117 in connector 80.

When the boot support member 16 is coupled to the receiver 20, theplungers 98 and 100 are depressed slightly to compress the springs 106and 110. Thus the springs 106 and 110, forcing the plungers 98 and 100into engagement with their respective sockets 76 and 77, constrain themovement of the pivot member 18. Moreover, the pivot member 18 may shiftits position slightly fore and aft whenever the ski receives a shock,with the spring loaded plungers 98 and 100 serving to act as shockabsorbers.

OPERATION With the boot support member 16 coupled to the receiver 20 asshown in FIG. 1, a skier secures his boot support member as follows:First, he places his boot 14 on the sole plate 22 and positions the heel14a so that the cable 48 and encasing wire coil 52 of the rear grip 30overlap the heel ledge 26 of the boot. Means may be provided for holdingthe rear cable 48' in position for receiving the heel ledge 26. Forexample, a plastic tab 64, having a looped upper end 66 receiving thecoil 52 and cable 48 and a lower end 68 attached to the end 70 of thesole plate 22, biases the coil and cable 48 so that the heel ledge 26fits easily thereunder. With the heel 14a in position and the sole 140of the boot 14 resting square and flush with the top 22a of the soleplate 22, the skier sets the tip 60 of the handle 56 on the toe ledge24, with the handle pointing generally away from the instep 14d of theboot 14. With the tip 60 serving as a fulcrum about which the handle 56pivots, the skier then pulls the handle towards the boot instep 14d intothe locking position, drawing the cable 48 and encasing coil 52 tautabout the ledge 24 of the boot 14.

To release the boot 14 from the grips 28 and 30, the skier simply movesthe handle 56 away from the instep 14d to the unlocking position. Thisremoves the tension on the cable 48 which now becomes slack. The skierthen moves the handle and cable 48 away from the toe 14b of the boot 14and steps off the sole plate 22.

Assume the skier skies down a slope spotted with moguls (solid mounds ofsnow and ice). Accidentally, the edge of the ski 12 is ensnared on amogul and twisting torque is exerted on the skiers leg. The leg strainsand rotates, twisting about the booted foot of the skier. If

the torque is not excessively high, there is insufficient torque toovercome the holding force of the springs 106 and 1 10 in the connectorsand 82. If the torque is dangerously high, the twisting of the skiersbooted foot turns the support member 16 laterally and the binding 10releases.

In accordance with one feature of the present invention, the binding 10is selective in that either operative socket 76 or 77 can act'as afulcrum about which the pivot member 18 turns. For example, assume theskier is leaning forward with his weight on the balls of his feet whenthe edge of one of his skies strikes a mogul. The high torque acting onthe skiers leg forces the boot support member 16 to turn. As shown inFIG. 7, the socket 76 will serve as a fulcrum for the pivot member 18,which turns clockwise when the twisting torque on the leg is twistingthe leg clockwise. The plunger 100, following the turning of the pivotmember 18, is depressed and rides up the socket wall 77a to the roundededge 77b. As soon as the rounded edge 77b moves to the left of thecenter line C of the ski 12, the plunger releases its hold on the pivotmember 18 and slides along the arcuate sidewall 18a of the pivot member.The outer plunger 98 stays in the socket 76 until the plunger 100releases its hold on the pivot member 18. When this release occurs, theplunger 98, responding to the pressure exerted on it by the spring 106,pushes the pivot member 18 away from the connector 82 and out of the gap86. Thus, the boot support member 16 disengages from the receiver 20.

If the skier is resting back on his heels and an excessively hightwisting is exerted on his leg, the socket 77 will serve as the fulcrumabout which the pivot member 18 rotates. This is illustrated in FIG. 8.Under these conditions, as soon as the socket 76 moves past the centerline C of the ski 12, the boot support member 16 will be disengaged fromthe receiver 20.

In addition to twisting torque on the leg which causes any binding torelease in the lateral direction to the right or left, forward orbackward torque may be exerted on the skiers leg to cause the binding torelease in either the forward or the backward direction as illustratedin FIGS. 9 and 10, respectively. In many instances, the torque exertedon the skiers leg will cause a release in a direction which is acombination lateralforward release or a lateral-backward release.However, the binding 10 always selects and releases on the lower lateralsetting. In other words, as soon as the lateral torque component exceedsthe predetermined lateral torque limit, the binding 10 releases in thelateral direction. This is a unique feature of the present invention.

To illustrate, assume the front end of the ski is entrapped causing theskier to fall forward. Under these conditions, a forward torque isexerted on the skiers leg, and the underside 22b of the sole plate 22would pivot on the front edge 82b of the connector 82 as shown in FIG.9. The pivot member 18 would be lifted away from the top surface 12a ofthe ski 12, causing the plungers 98 and 100 to ride down the respectivesidewalls 76a and 77a of the sockets 76 and 77. When the round edge 77bof the socket sidewall 77a passes the center line B of the plunger 100,these plungers 98 and 100 release their hold on the pivot member 18 andthe boot support member 16 disengages from the receiver 20, permittingthe skier to fall forward rather than injuring his leg. If a lateraltorque was simultaneously acting on the skiers leg, release in thelateral direction would occur as soon as the lateral torque was indanger of injuring the skiers leg.

Assume the skier makes a jump and lands on the back tips of his skis.This could generate a high backward torque which might injure the skiersleg unless his binding releases in the backward direction. FIG. 10illustrates the binding 10 releasing in the backward direction. In thisinstance, the underside 22b of the sole plate 22 pivots at the rear end80b of the connector 80 and the plunger 98 rides down the sidewall 76aof the socket 76. When the edge 76b of the socket 76 passes the centerline B of the plunger 98, the plungers 98 and 100 release their hold onthe pivot member 18. Thus, the boot support member 16 separates from thereceiver in the backward direction. Again, a concurrent dangerouslateral torque would cause instantaneous release in the lateraldirection.

The release of the binding 10 is controlled by (l) the magnitude of theforces exerted on the pivot member 18 by the spring-loaded plungers 98and 100, and (2) the contours of the socket walls 74a, 75a, 76a, 77a.Adjusting the lugs 108 and 113 to control spring tension sets theholding force of the plungers 98 and 100. A rounded contour at the edgeof a socket wall permits a plunger to ride smoothly up and over thisrounded edge. If the edge is highly rounded, a relatively small torqueon the leg will cause the binding 10 to release. If the edge is sharplydefined, i.e., is not rounded or rounded only slightly, only arelatively large torque on the leg will cause the binding 10 to release.In the case of an average weight, 20 to 40 year old male skier ofaverage ability, the tension of the springs 106 and 110 and the contoursof the sockets 76 through 77 are controlled so that in the forward orrearward directions, the binding 10 releases when the leg is subjectedto about 1,200 inch-pounds of forward or backward torque, and, in thelateral directions, the binding 10 releases when the leg is subjected toa twisting torque of about 360 inch-pounds.

ties 76g and 76h as shown in FIG. 12. The edge extremi ity 76g isslightly more rounded than edge extremity 7611. With the pivot member 18attached to thesole plate 22 in the position illustrated in FIG. 6, thesharply defined edge extremity 76h tenaciously holds the plunger head102 in the socket 76 as the binding 10 attempts to release in thebackward direction (see FIG. 10). Assume the pivot member 18 isreconnected to the sole plate 22 in an inverted position from FIG. 11,so

that the relative position of edge extremities 76g and 76h are reversed.The edge extremity 76g, being more rounded than extremity 7611, wouldhold the head 102 less tenaciously than extremity 76h. Consequently, the

binding 10 would release in the backward direction more easily.

Now consider the edge extremities 76i and 76j as shown in FIG. 13. Bothof these extremities 76i and 76j have been rounded to the same degree sotheir release characteristics are the same. If a dangerously highclockwise twisting torque as viewed in FIG. Sis exerted on a skiers leg,the plunger 98 rides over edge extremity 76 If a high counterclockwisetwisting torque acts. on the leg, the plunger 98 rides over edgeextremity 76i. High twisting torques of equal magnitude but oppositedirection will cause release of the binding .10 in the lateraldirections. For such lateral release generally it would not berecommended to have the extremities 76i and 76j rounded differently,because then the binding 10 would release in one lateral direction morereadily than the other lateral direction.

The holding power of the binding 10 when ski edges dig into the surfaceof the snow is governed by the edge extremities 76g and 76h, i.e., theforward and backward release contours. In other words, the edge holdingpower of the binding 10 is not related to the edge extremities 76and 76jwhich govern lateral release. Consequently, in sharp turns the binding10 will not had vertently release.

Since each socket 74 through 77 is designed to have different releasecharacteristics, the skier has great latitude in selecting what will bethe release conditions of the binding 10. When four sockets areprovided, there are eight different release settings as controlled bythe position of the sockets 74 through 77 with respect to the plungers98 and 100. By repositioning the pivot member 18relative to the soleplate 22, the skier can select the conditions under which the binding 10will release to match his skill and style of skiing. Skiers who tend toset back on their heels require the forward plunger 98 to hold morefirmly than the rear plunger. Consequently, the socket 76 will belocated opposite the forward plunger 98 as shown. Conversely, a skierwho places his weight on the balls of his feet and leans forward willwant the rear plunger 100 to hold more firmly than the forward plunger98. This is accomplished by matching the appropriate socket with therear plunger 100. The conditions under which the binding 10 will releasein the lateral directions can also be controlled by the selection of theproper socket design. Once the proper sockets are matched with theplungers 98 and 100, the compression of the springs 106 and 110governing plunger force is adjusted to suit the individual skier.

The criticality of socket location is appreciated by considering thenature of the level arm acting during release and the advantages whichthis lever arm provides. The binding 10 actually has two lever arms, asimple lever arm and a compound lever arm. The simple lever arm has alength equal to the distance between sockets 76 and 77, i.e., l.53inches. The compound lever arm comprises a lever arm having a lengthequal to the distance between the end of the connector at which the bootsupport member pivots and the socket 76, and a lever arm having a lengthequal to the distance between the end of the connector at which the bootsupport member pivots and the other socket 77. The lengths of these twolever arms will be about 6 and about 4 inches, i.e., the compound leverarm has an effective length of about 5 inches. During most releases,either the simple lever arm or the compound lever arm will dominate andcontrol the release of the binding 10. In a forward or backward fall thecompound lever arm dominates; in the twisting fall the shorter, simplelever arm dominates. The longer the lever arm, the more torque the legwill be subjected to before release occurs. Consequently, the bindinginherently releases more readily in the lateral direction than in theforward and backward directions. This is highly desirable because thetibia can withstand higher backward or forward torque than twistingtorque. Thus, since the binding 10 employs a relatively short lever armwhich is operable when a twisting fall occurs, it is inherently safe.Current test results indicate that the binding 10 has ample holdingpower with release settings more than 50% lower than conventionalbindings.

In addition to inherent saftey, three other important advantages arerealized because of the short lever arm employed in the binding 10: (1)the boot support member 16 and the receiver 20 can be connected by aside entryway technique, (2) the binding inherently has excellentrecovery from shocks, and (3) the binding provides reliable releaseunder icing or other adverse conditions.

The side entry connection between the boot support member 16 and thereceiver 20 is highly desirable. For example, if the ski boot 14 withboot support member 16 separates from the receiver 20 as describedabove, the skier, after recovering from his fall, is faced with theproblem of reconnecting the boot support member 16 and receiver 20. Withthe binding 10, the skier reconnects the support member 16 and receiver20 by a side entry technique. He first positions his leg and booted footwith attached boot support member 16 in the receiver 20 so that theplunger 100 mates with the socket 77 such as shown in FIG. 3. In thealternative he may mate the socket 76 with the front plunger 98. Nextthe skier rotates or twists his leg and booted foot sideways, moving thepivot member 18 sideways through the open side 86a of the gap 86. Sincethe lever arm is relatively short (about 2 inches) and the slope of thearcuate sidewall 18a is very gradual, the skiers leg muscle power issufficient to overcome the force of the springs 110 and 106. Thus, theplunger head 102 rides over the arcuate sidewall 18a of the pivot member18, readily depressing the springs 110 and 106. When the plunger head102 reaches the rounded edge 76b, an ad- 10 ditional turn aligns theplunger with the socket 76 and the head 102 snaps into mating engagementwith the socket 76. This operation cleans any snow from the pivot areaand from between the boot support member 16 and the receiver 20 mountedon the ski.

In contrast, most conventional boot support members cannot be readilyreconnected to their receivers by way of a side entry technique, becausethe lever arm is relatively long. With this type of conventionalbinding, the skier first brings the toe plunger into mating engagementwith the toe end of the boot support member and then steps down into thereceiver so that the heel plunger snaps into mating relationship withthe heel end of the boot support member. Because the springs must bestrong enough to hold the boot support member secure during skiing, andbecause of the relatively long lever arm, most skiers will not haveadequate leg muscle power to overcome the force of the springs by atwisting action of the leg. Consequently, they are forced to step downinto the receiver to effect a connection between the support member andthe receiver. In powder snow where there is little support for the ski,it will be very difficult to reconnect the boot support member to thereceiver.

The good recovery of the binding 10 is best illustrated by the followingexample. Assume a ski glances against the side of a mogul, and theskiers leg sustains a momentary blow which causes the boot supportmember 16 to turn to the position shown in FIG. 7. If

the blow only moves the support member 16 to this position and nofurther, it is still connected to the receiver 20. This position of theboot support member 16 and receiver 20 is the threshold position. Anyfurther clockwise rotation of the support member 16 will result in therelease of the pivot member 18 from the grip of the plungers 98 and 100.Once the force of the blow has terminated, the spring 110 which normallyurges the plunger 100 towards the pivot member 18 automaticallyreinserts the plunger into the socket 77 if the plunger 100 isnt tooclose to the edge 77b, or the skier may provide an assist by simplyturning his foot counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 7. It should benoted that the more ellipsoid the edge 77b the greater the degree ofrecovery.

The short lever arm allows the binding 10 to have greater lateralrecovery than conventional bindings which have long lever arms. This isillustrated in FIGS. 14a and 14b. FIG. 14a diagrammatically shows alever arm X equal to approximately the distance between the toe and heelof a ski boot. If the binding is designed to permit the boot supportmember to pivot at Z so that v the toe end can move l/ 8 of an inch toeither side of the center line C of the ski 12 prior to release of thebinding, an l/8 of an inch is the maximum lateral recovery. FIG. 14bdiagrammatically illustrates the 2 inch lever arm employed in thebinding 10. Assume the socket 77 serves as the fulcrum for the leverarm, and the sidewall 76a of the socket 76 is contoured such that thepivot member 18 can pivot l/ 8 of an inch to either side of the centerline C of the ski 12 without releasing the binding 10. Under theseconditions, the toe end of the boot support member 16 will moveapproximately /2 inch to either side of the center line C withoutreleasing the binding 10. In other words, with a short lever arm, theboot support member 16 can rotate through a greater are withoutreleasing the binding 10, and consequently, lateral recovery is greaterthan with bindings employing long lever arms. A high degree of lateralrecovery is de- '1 1 sirable to avoid inadvertent release.

Reliable, repeatable release is inherently in the binding because of theshort lever arm. Consider the problems associated with a binding havingits release mechanisms at the toe and heel of the ski boot. Such abinding will have a lever arm equal in length to the distance betweenthe toe and heel of the boot. The release mechanisms must be set to holdthe toe and heel firm enough so that the binding will not release whenthe ski is only subjected to a harmless momentary shock load. At thesame time, the release mechanism must be set so that during a slowtwisting fall where excessively high and sustained twisting torque isexerted on a skiers leg, the binding will release. With the releasemechanism at the toe or heel of the boot, it is, at the least, difficultto properly set the mechanism to hold under shock loads and releaseduring a twisting fall.

For example, with the release mechanism at the toe and with the skiersfoot pivoting at the heel, the skiers leg must overcome the holdingforce at the toe to accomplish release of the binding. If the releasemechanism at the toe is set to hold the toe too strongly, the skiers legwill be injured before release is achieved. This could be doneintentionally by the skier setting the release mechansim to hold the toevery firmly so that shock loads wont cause an unwanted release, or icecould accumulate at the toe to exert additional holding force at thetoe. The shorter the lever arm the easier it will be for the skier toachieve release under such conditions.

To illustrate, assume a binding must release if the skiers leg issubjected to 360 inch-pounds of twisting torque. With a lever arm 12inches long, the holding force at the toe preferably should not exceed30 pounds. Assume the skier inadvertently sets the release mechanism atthe toe for 35 pounds, 5 pounds in excess of the preferred limit. Undersuch conditions, the skiers leg will be subjected to 420 inch-poundsbefore the binding releases. That is, every one pound excess force atthe toe subjects the skiers leg to 12 inch-pounds of additional torque.This is a highly dangerous condition. Contrast this with the binding 10.When the leg is subjected to a twisting torque, the 2 inch simple leverarm dominates the release of the binding 10. The force required toprevent lateral movement of the pivot member 18 in the receiver 20 is180 pounds. This force is controlled by the spring tension and contourof the sockets 74 through 77. If the skier inadvertently sets theadjustment screws 113 and 108 so that the force is 185 pounds, the skieronly subjects his leg to an additional 1O inch-pounds increase intorque. In other words, every pound of excess force exerted by the oneplunger only subjects the skiers leg to an additional 2 inch-pounds oftorque. This relatively small increase in torque can ordinarily bewithstood without any danger of injury to the leg.

Assume a binding must release if the skiers leg is subjected to 1200inch-pounds of forward or backward torque. With a lever arm 12 incheslong, the holding force, for example, at the toe preferably should notexceed 100 pounds. If the holding force is 5 pounds in excess of thedesired force, the leg is subjected to 60 pounds of additional torquebefore release occurs. In my binding 10, when the leg is subjected to abackward or forward torque, the compound lever having an effective 5inch length dominates. The force required to prevent vertical movementof the pivot member 18 in the receiver 20 is about 240 pounds. Againspring tension and the contour of the sockets 74 through 77 control thisforce. If the skier inadvertently sets adjustment:

screws 112 and 113 so the force is 245 pounds, the skier only subjectshis legs to an additional 25 inchpounds of increased torque. The tibiawill be able .to withstand this additional 25 inch-pounds of forceacting on the leg in the forward or backward directions.

Although it is possible that the skier might incorrectly adjust therelease mechanism of a conventional 7 binding, it is more likely thaticing, rust or grit will interfere with the release mechanism so thatthe actual force exerted by the release mechanism is much higher thanthe apparent setting. My binding 10 is designed so that ice, rust anddirt do not interfere with its release plungers 98 and 100 will pushthis ice or snowout of a the socket when the boot support member 16 isreconnected with the receiver 20. Second, becausethe'moving parts of theconnectors 80 and 82, and particularly because the springs 106 and 110are housed in the sealed chambers 88 and 117, they do not rust nor doesdirt interfere with their operation. In the unlikely event that, somedirt did make its way into the chamber 88 the additional holding forceexerted on the pivot mem- 1 her 18 due to this dirt could easily beovercome ;be-

cause of the short lever arm of the binding 10.

ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS The pivot member and connectors could havealternate configurations, but in accordance with the present invention,the operative sockets of these alternate configurations would still beunder the arch A of the boot 14. For example, the socket and the plungerheads, instead of being hemispherical, may be conical, parabolic, orother configurations such as shown in FIGS. 15, 16 and 16a The binding121 illustrated in FIGS. 15, 16, and 16a includes a pivot membergenerally having an hourglass-like configuration with an aligned pair ofsockets 122 and 124. The sockets 122 and 124 are open at their:

tops, have chamfered bottoms 122C and 124C, respectively, and angulatededges 122a, 122b, and 124a and 124b, respectively, in sockets 122 and124. Screws 126 secure the pivot member 120 to the underside of the soleplate 22, directly under the arch A of the boot 14. Consequently, thesockets 122 and 124 are in the proper position beneath the arch A. Undernormal load,

conditions, a pair of spaced connectors 128 and 130 firmly hold thepivot member 120. These connectors 128 and 130 are secured to the ski 12by screws. There is a gap 134 between these connectors 128 and 130having open sides 134a and l34b adapted to receive the pivot member 120by Way of side entry. The underside of the sole plate 22 rests on thetop of the connectors 128 and 130 when the pivot member 120 is coupledto the connectors 128 and 130. A pair of plungers 136 and 138,respectively, in the connectors 128 and I 130, hold the pivot member120, but will release the pivot member if a dangerously high torque isexerted on the skiers leg.

13 The connectors 128 and 130 are identical and only one connector isshown in detail. This connector 130 has an internal T-shaped chamber 140which receives the T-shaped plunger 138. The plunger 138 has at its basea pyramid-like nose 142 (FIG. 16a) adapted to engage the socket 124,and, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16a, the nose 142 has a chamferedunderside 144 which mates with the chamfered bottom 1240 of the socket124. There is a generally rectangular chamber 146 in the body of theplunger 138 which receives a flattened, coiled spring 148. One end ofthe spring 148 rests against the chamber terminal 152 and the other endengages a stop 154. A screw 158 which has a ball end which fits into arecess 160 in the stop 154 passes through a rear wall 162 of theconnector 130. This screw 158 adjusts the tension of the spring 148.Because of the general T shapes of the plunger 138 and the chamber 140,there are mating shoulders 164 and 166 which limit the movement of theplunger 138 in the direction towards the pivot member 120. The spring148 normally urges the plunger 138 into mating engagement with thesocket 124, and when the load conditions are such that the pivot member120 turns in any direction, the plunger 138 is depressed and the nose142 glides over the chamfered edges 124a and 124b, releasing the pivotmember 120 so that the ski boot can separate from the ski 12. Bycontrolling the angle at which the edges 124a and 124b adjoin, and theangle of the chamfered bottom 1240, the socket 124 will have acharacteristic edge or surface contour adapted to disconnect the pivotmember 120 and connector 130 under predetermined load conditions. As analternative to the plunger configurations of the embodiments previouslydescribed, the plunger ends or noses may be of a conical configurationwith complementary receiving sockets also of conical configuration.Applicant has tested such an alternative configuration embodying coneangles of approximately 90 and has found that the operation is fullysatisfactory. Such a conical arrangement has certain advantages ofsimplicity in that release characteristics can be readily changed bychanging the depths of the sockets and/or the conical angles of theplunger noses and the mating sockets.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the pivot members 18or 120 could be secured to the ski 12 and the pairs of connectors 8082or 128-130 could be secured to the sole plate 22 or 22. This alternatearrangement would be fully equivalent to the structures shown in FIGS. 1through 9 and FIGS. 15 and 16, provided the spatial relationshipsbetween the pivot members 18, 120 and their respective connectors 80, 82and 128, 130 remains the same.

Another alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.17. In this embodiment, the sole plate is eliminated and a boot 200 isdesigned to coact with pivot member 18' secured to the ski 12. The pivotmember 18' is identical in construction with that shown in FIGS. 1through 6 except it is secured to ski 12 rather than to a sole plate.The boot 200 has a recess portion 201 defined by two spaced apart soleportions 202 and 204. Secured within these sole portions 202 and 204 areconnectors 80 and 82, respectively. Thus the pivot member receiver isintegral with the boot 200 rather than being secured to the ski 12. Itis critical that the recess 201 be directly beneath the arch A of theboot 200. This recess is adapted to receive the pivot member 18' in thesame manner as the gap 86 (FIG. 2) receives the pivot member 18. Whenthe boot 200 is LII connected to the pivot member 18, the plungers 98and engage respectively the sockets 76 and 77 of the pivot member 18.The plungers 98 and 100, coacting with the pivot member 18', hold theboot 200 secure to the ski 12 under normal load conditions. When theload conditions are dangerously high, the boot 200 pivots about thepivot member 18, depressing the plungers 98 and 100 so that theseplungers pop from the sockets 76' and 77' and release the connectionbetween the boot 200 and the ski 12. The boot 200 is adapted to releasein the forward, backward, lateral, or combined directions as describedabove.

A second embodiment of a ski boot equipped with a binding of the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. In this embodiment, a ski boot249 includes a recess portion 250 defined by two spaced sole portions252 and 254. The recess 250 is directly beneath the arch A of the boot249. Preferably the sole 251 of the boot 249 has a surface made of ananti-friction material such as a fluorocarbon polymer dispersed in aceramic. Thus, during release, the sole 251 of the boot 249 slidessmoothly over thesurface of the ski 12.

In accordance with the principal features of this embodiment, aspecially designed pivot member 256 is secured by screws 258 to the ski12. This pivot member 256 has an enlarged central opening 271 with twobores 260 and 262 generally at right angles to the opening 271 andaligned with each other. A pair of plungers 264 and 266 extend,respectively, through the bores 260 and 262. The plungers 264 and 266are similar to each other and similar to plungers shown in FIG. 4.

Plunger 264 includes an internal chamber 265 which receives one end of acoiled spring 268. A snap ring 270 fits into a groove in the side wallof the bore 260 and a seal 272 adjacent this snap ring prevents grit andmoisture from entering the central opening 271. A bushing 273 surroundsthe plunger 264, and a snap ring 276 in a groove in the side wall of theplunger 264 pushes against the bushing as the spring 268 urges theplunger 264 outwardly through the bore 260. However, the snap ring 270prevents the plunger 264 from popping out of the bore 260. The maindifference between the plungers 264 and 266 is that the plunger 266 hasa removable head 280 including a hexagonal nut 282 formed in the wall ofthe head and a rounded tip 284. The head 280 is adapted to be screwedinto a threaded end of a chamber 286 in the plunger 266. The other endof the spring 268 fits into this chamber 286 and abuts a number ofcompression rings 288 disposed in the chamber. To insert the spring 268or add or remove compression rings 288, the head 280 is simply removed.The compression rings 288 control the tension of the spring 268. As'more compression rings 288 are included in the chamber 286, the tensionin the spring 268 increases, and vice versa.

Like the plunger 264, the plunger 266 is adapted to move within the bore262. A snap ring 290 in a groove in the side wall of the bore 262 coactswith a bushing 292 surrounding the plunger 266 and a snap ring 294fitted into a groove in the side wall of the plunger to prevent theplunger 266 from popping out of the bore 262. There is a seal 293adjacent to snap ring 290 to seal the bore 262.

A pair of sockets 300 and 302 coact with the plungers 264 and 266,respectively, to releasably hold the ski boot 249 to the ski 12. Thesesockets 300 and 302 are in opposed internal edges of the sole portions252 and 254, respectively, and are disposed beneath the arch A of theboot 249. The recess portion 250 has open sides so the ski boot 249 canbe attached to the pivot member 256 by way of side entry.

During release of the ski boot 249, either the plunger 264 or 266 orboth are depressed when the boot 249 begins to turn laterally or pivotsforward or backward off the toe or heel. Assuming the plunger 264 isdepressed, this plunger moves toward the central opening 271, depressingthe spring 268. As soon as the plunger 264 clears the socket 300, thespring 268 will force the plunger to return to the position shown inFIG. 19, where the bushing 273 abuts the snap ring 270, and the snapring 276 abuts the bushing. The plunger 266 coacts with the socket 302in a similar manner to disconnect the plunger 266 in socket 302 when thetorque on the skiers leg is dangerously high.

As appreciated by those skilled in the art, other modifications may bemade in the bindingsof the present invention without departing from theprinciples embodied therein. For example, it is not absolutely requiredthat a spring loaded plunger be both fore and aft of the pivot member.Spring-loaded plunger means could coact with one socket means andanother socket means could coact with a stationary pivot member. Inaccordance with the critical feature of my invention, any sucharrangement would have at least two sockets in a fore and aftrelationship located below the arch of the ski boot anc coacting withplunger means for releasing the pivot member in the forward, backward,lateral or combined directions.

Modifications and variations may be effected without departing from thenovel concepts of the present invention.

I claim:

1. In an improved binding for releasably attaching a ski boot to a ski,said'binding having first connecting means secured to the boot, secondconnecting means secured to the ski, and means for releasably couplingsaid first and second connecting means together so that underpredetermined load conditions the coupling means releases the connectionbetween said connecting means in the forward, backward, lateral, orcombination of directions,

the improvement wherein said coupling means includes a. a pair of socketmeans disposed in a zone directly below the arch of the boot, with saidsocket means being in a fore-and-aft releationship generally along thelength of the ski, each of said socket means being in fine of theconnecting means and displaced inwardly from the end of the boot towhich it is proximate a distance equal to at least one-third the totallength of the boot, and one of said socket means serving as a fulcrumabout which the leg may pivot in the lateral direction,

b. plunger means in the other connecting means adapted toengage at leastone of the socket means, and

c. means normally urging said plunger means into engagement with thesocket means, thereby coupling said connecting means, and under saidpredetermined load conditions, disengaging the plunger means from thesocket means, thereby uncoupling said connecting means.

2. The improved binding of claim 1 wherein said socket means are intandem.

3. The improved binding of claim 2 where the socket means are displacedfrom each other a distance in the range of from 1 /2 to 3 inches.

4. The improved binding of claim 2 where the distance between one socketmeans and the end of the boot to which said one socket member isproximate about equals the distance between the other socket means andthe other end of the boot to which said other socket means is proximate.

5. The improved binding of claim 1 where the socket means and plungermeans are aligned along a line which is directly above and parallel tothe longitudinal center line of the ski.

6. The improved binding of claim 5 where said line parallel to thecenter line of the ski is displaced a distance of from 1/4 to 1 inchabove the upper surface of the ski.

7. The improved binding of claim 1 including at least two different andinterchangeable pairs of socket means, one pair of socket means havingcharacteristic surface contours adapted to uncouple the connecting meansunder a first set of predetermined load conditions, and the other pairof socket means having characteristic surface contours adapted touncouple the connecting means under a second set of predetermined loadconditions different from said first set. i r

8. A binding for releasably attaching a ski boot to a ski, comprising:

first connecting means secured to the boot,

second connecting means secured to the ski, and.

means for releasably coupling said first and second connecting meanstogether so that under predetermined load conditions the coupling meansreleases the connection between said connecting means, said couplingmeans being adapted to release in the forward, backward, lateral, orcombination of directions and including first and second spaced andopposed socket means in one of the connecting means and disposed in azone directly below the arch of the boot, each of said socket meansbeing displaced inwardly from the end of the boot to which it isproximate a distance equal to at least one-third the total length of theboot, with the distancebetween said socket means being in the range offrom 1 /2 to 3 inches, and

b. first and second spaced and opposed plunger means in the otherconnecting means, said first and second plunger means being respectivelyaligned with the first and second socket means,

0. a gap in said connecting means to accept therein said firstconnecting means, said gap spanning the width of said second connectingmeans andallow ing direct lateral separation of said first connectingmeans from said second connecting means, and

(1. spring means normally urging the plunger means into engagement withthe socket means, said spring 1 means being compressed under saidpredetermined load conditions to disengage the plunger means from thesocket means, thereby uncouplingthe connecting means,

c. said socket means, plunger means, and spring means being alignedalong a line which is directly. above and parallel to the longitudinalcenter of the ski. 9. The binding of claim 8 where the distance betweenone socket means and the end of the boot to which said one socket memberis proximate about equals the dis- 17 tance between the other socketmeans and the other end of the boot to which said other socket means isproximate.

10. The binding of claim 8 where the line parallel to the center line ofthe ski is displaced a distance of from A to 1 inch above the uppersurface of the ski.

11. The binding of claim 8 including at least two different andinterchangeable pairs of socket means, one pair of socket means havingcharacteristic surface contours adapted to uncouple the connecting meansunder a first set of predetermined load conditions, and the other pairof socket means having characteristic surface contours adapted touncouple the connecting means under a second set of predetermined loadconditions different from said first set.

12. A binding for releasably attaching a ski boot to a ski, comprising:

a ski boot support member, manually releasable means for securelyholding the ski boot to the support member so that the sole of the skiboot abuts one side of the support member.

first connecting means secured to the side of the support memberopposite the boot, and said first connecting means being generally underthe arch of the boot,

second connecting means secured to the ski for holding the firstconnecting means in forward, backward, lateral or combined directions inaccordance with load conditions, so that said ski boot with attachedboot support member separates from the ski and attaching holding means,and

a gap in said second connecting means to accept therein said firstconnecting means, said gap spanning the width of said second connectingmeans and allowing direct lateral separation of said first connectingmeans from said second connecting means under predetermined loadconditions, each portion of said second connecting means adjacent saidgap including fulcrum means about which said first connecting means maypivot in the lateral direction.

13. The binding of claim 12 where the ski boot member is substantiallycoextensive with the sole of the ski boot.

14. The binding of claim 13 where at least one of the underside of thesupport member and the tops of the second connecting means is coatedwith an anti-friction material.

15. The binding of claim 12 where the releasable means holding the skiboot to the support member includes first and second flexible cablemeans respectively at the opposed ends of the support member, said firstand second cable means respectively gripping the toe and heel of theboot.

16. The binding of claim 15 where the first cable means has a handlemeans connected thereto which is movable between locking and unlockingpositions, said handle means in the locking position being adjacent theinstep of the boot and drawing the first cable means taut about the toeof the boot, and in the unlocking position removing the tension on thefirst cable means so that the cable means becomes slack and its grip onthe boot is released.

17. The binding of claim 12 where the first connecting means includessocket means disposed in a zone directly below the arch of the boot, andsaid second connecting means includes plunger means aligned With thesocket means with spring means normally urging said 18 plunger meansinto engagement with the socket means, said spring means beingcompressed under said predetermined load conditions to disengage theplunger means from the socket means.

18. The binding of claim 17 including a pair of socket means each ofwhich is disposed inwardly from the end of the boot to which it isproximate a distance equal to at least one-third the total length of theboot.

19. The binding of claim 18 where the socket means are disposed relativeto each other a distance in the range of from 1 /2 to 3 inches.

20. The binding of claim 18 where the distance between one socket meansand the end of the boot to which said one socket member is proximateabout equals the distance between the other socket means and the otherend of the boot to which said other socket means is proximate.

21. The binding of claim 17 where the socket means, plunger means, andspring means are aligned along a line which is directly above andparallel to the longitu dinal center line of the ski.

22. The binding of claim 21 where said line parallel to the center lineof the ski is from A. to 1 inch above the upper surface of the ski.

23. The binding of claim 17 including at least two different andinterchangeable pairs of socket means, one pair of socket means havingcharacteristic surface contours adapted to uncouple the connecting meansunder a first set of predetermined load conditions, and the other pairof socket means having characteristic surface contours adapted touncouple the connecting means under a second set of predetermined loadconditions different from said first set.

24. In combination a ski,

a generally flat ski boot support member substantially coextensive withthe sole of the ski boot and having at opposed ends means adapted togrip the toe and heel of a ski boot,

a pivot member having a pair of sockets therein and a width about equalto the length of the arch of the boot, said pivot member being securedto the boot support member in an underside position opposite the arch ofthe ski boot so that both of said socket means are in a zone directlybeneath said arch,

receiving means for the pivot member secured to the ski, said receivingmeans including a pair of generally flat spaced connecting members whichdefine between them a gap having a width slightly greater than the widthof the pivot member and open sides adapted tofreceive the pivot memberby way of a side entry, said connecting members having a height at leastas great as the height of the pivot member so that with the pivot memberin the recess of the underside of the support members rests on the topsurfaces of said connecting members, and

disposed within each of said connecting members, spring means andplunger means adapted to engage the socket means, said spring meansnormally urging the plunger means into engagement with their respectivesocket means to connect the pivot member and the receiving means, andunder predetermined load conditions, being depressed by the action ofthe pivot member turning due to said load conditions to disconnect thepivot member from the receiving means.

25. The combination of claim 24 where at least one of the underside ofthe boot support member and the top surface of the connecting means iscoated with an anti-friction material.

26. The combination of claim 24 where the means gripping the toe of theboot includes a flexible cable and a handle means connected theretowhich is movable between locking and unlocking positions, said handlemeans in the locking position being adjacent the instep of the boot anddrawing the cable taut about the toe of the boot, and in the unlockingposition removing the tension on the cable so that the cable becomesslackand its grip on the boot is released.

27. The combination of claim 24 where each socket means is disposedinwardly from the end of the boot to which it is proximate a distanceequal to at least onethird the total length of the boot.

28. The combination of claim 27 where the socket means are disposedrelative to each other a distance in the range of from 1 /2 to 3 inches.

29. The combination of claim 27 where the distance betweenone socketmeans and the end of the boot to which said one socket member isproximate about equals the distance between the other socket means andthe other end of the boot to which said other socket means is proximate.

30. The combination of claim 24 where the socket means, plunger meansand spring means are aligned along a line which is directly above andparallel to the longitudinal center line of the ski.

31. The combination of claim 30 where said line parallel to the centerline of the ski is from A to 1 inch above the upper surface of the ski.I

32. The combination of claim 24 including at least two different andinterchangeable pairs of socket means, one pair of socket means havingcharacteristic surface contours adapted to uncouple the connecting meansunder a first set of predetermined load conditions, and the other pairof socket means having characteristic surface contours adapted touncouple the connecting means under a second set of predetermined loadconditions different from said first set.

33. A binding for releasably attaching a ski boot to a ski, comprising:

a ski boot support member,

manually releasable means for securely holding the ski boot to thesupport member so that the sole of the ski boot abuts one side of thesupport member, first connecting means secured to the ski,

second connecting means secured to the side of the support memberopposite the boot for holding the first connecting means in forward,backward, lateral or combined directions in accordance with loadconditions, so that said ski boot with attached boot support memberseparates from the ski and attached holding means, and

a gap in said second connecting means to accept therein first connectingmeans, said gap spanning the width of second connecting means andallowing direct lateral separation of said first connecting means fromsaid second connecting means under predetermined load conditions, eachportion of said second connecting means adjacent said gap 2% includingfulcrum means about which said first connecting means may pivot in thelateral direction.

34. In combination,

a ski,

a generally flat ski boot support membersubstantiall coextensive withthe sole of the ski boot and having an opposite ends means adapted togrip the toe and heel of a ski boot,

a pivot member having a pair of sockets therein and.

a width about equal to the length of the arch of the boot, said pivotmember being secured to the ski, receiving means for the pivot membersecured to the boot support member in an underside position to hold thepivot member opposite the arch of the ski boot so that both of thesocket means are in a zone directly beneath the arch, said receivingmeans including a pair of generally flat spaced connecting members whichdefine between them a gap having a width slightly greater than the widthof the pivot member and open sides adpated to receive the pivot memberby way of a side entry, said connecte ing members having a height'atleast as great asthe height of the pivot member so that with the pivotmember in the recess each of the connecting members rests on the top ofthe ski surface, and

disposed within each of said connecting members,

spring means and plunger means adapted to engage the socket means, saidspring means normally urging the plunger means into engagement withtheir respective socket means to connectthe pivot member and thereceiving means, and under predetermined load conditions, beingdepressed by the action of the pivot member turning due to said loadconditions to disconnect the pivot member from the receiving means. I35. A device for securely holding a ski boot comprising first and secondmeans for gripping respectively: the

toe and heel of the boot to secure said boot, said first 1 meansgripping the toe of the boot including a flexible. cable and elongatedhandle means, said handle means connected to said cable at a positionnear a first end of the handle means and which is movable betweenlocking and unlocking positions, said handle means in the the tension onthe cable so that the cable becomes slack and its grip on the boot isreleased.

36. The device of claim 35 where the first and second means are attachedto a sole plate memberwhich abuts and is substantially coextensive withthe sole of the boot, said sole plate member being adapted to bereleasably attached to a ski.

37. The device of claim 35 where at least one of the first and secondmeans is adjustable to accommodate different sized ski boots.

1. In an improved binding for releasably attaching a ski boot to a ski,said binding having first connecting means secured to the boot, secondconnecting means secured to the ski, and means for releasably couplingsaid first and second connecting means together so that underpredetermined load conditions the coupling means releases the connectionbetween said connecting means in the forward, backward, lateral, orcombination of directions, the improvement wherein said coupling meansincludes a. a pair of socket means disposed in a zone directly below thearch of the boot, with said socket means being in a fore-andaftreleationship generally along the length of the ski, each of said socketmeans being in one of the connecting means and displaced inwardly fromthe end of the boot to which it is proximate a distance equal to atleast one-third the total length of the boot, and one of said socketmeans serving as a fulcrum about which the leg may pivot in the lateraldirection, b. plunger means in the other connecting means adapted toengage at least one of the socket means, and c. means normally urgingsaid plunger means into engagement with the socket means, therebycoupling said connecting means, and under said predetermined loadconditions, disengaging the plunger means from the socket means, therebyuncoupling said connecting means.
 2. The improved binding of claim 1wherein said socket means are in tandem.
 3. The improved binding ofclaim 2 where the sockeT means are displaced from each other a distancein the range of from 1 1/2 to 3 inches.
 4. The improved binding of claim2 where the distance between one socket means and the end of the boot towhich said one socket member is proximate about equals the distancebetween the other socket means and the other end of the boot to whichsaid other socket means is proximate.
 5. The improved binding of claim 1where the socket means and plunger means are aligned along a line whichis directly above and parallel to the longitudinal center line of theski.
 6. The improved binding of claim 5 where said line parallel to thecenter line of the ski is displaced a distance of from 1/4 to 1 inchabove the upper surface of the ski.
 7. The improved binding of claim 1including at least two different and interchangeable pairs of socketmeans, one pair of socket means having characteristic surface contoursadapted to uncouple the connecting means under a first set ofpredetermined load conditions, and the other pair of socket means havingcharacteristic surface contours adapted to uncouple the connecting meansunder a second set of predetermined load conditions different from saidfirst set.
 8. A binding for releasably attaching a ski boot to a ski,comprising: first connecting means secured to the boot, secondconnecting means secured to the ski, and means for releasably couplingsaid first and second connecting means together so that underpredetermined load conditions the coupling means releases the connectionbetween said connecting means, said coupling means being adapted torelease in the forward, backward, lateral, or combination of directionsand including a. first and second spaced and opposed socket means in oneof the connecting means and disposed in a zone directly below the archof the boot, each of said socket means being displaced inwardly from theend of the boot to which it is proximate a distance equal to at leastone-third the total length of the boot, with the distance between saidsocket means being in the range of from 1 1/2 to 3 inches, and b. firstand second spaced and opposed plunger means in the other connectingmeans, said first and second plunger means being respectively alignedwith the first and second socket means, c. a gap in said connectingmeans to accept therein said first connecting means, said gap spanningthe width of said second connecting means and allowing direct lateralseparation of said first connecting means from said second connectingmeans, and d. spring means normally urging the plunger means intoengagement with the socket means, said spring means being compressedunder said predetermined load conditions to disengage the plunger meansfrom the socket means, thereby uncoupling the connecting means, e. saidsocket means, plunger means, and spring means being aligned along a linewhich is directly above and parallel to the longitudinal center of theski.
 9. The binding of claim 8 where the distance between one socketmeans and the end of the boot to which said one socket member isproximate about equals the distance between the other socket means andthe other end of the boot to which said other socket means is proximate.10. The binding of claim 8 where the line parallel to the center line ofthe ski is displaced a distance of from 1/4 to 1 inch above the uppersurface of the ski.
 11. The binding of claim 8 including at least twodifferent and interchangeable pairs of socket means, one pair of socketmeans having characteristic surface contours adapted to uncouple theconnecting means under a first set of predetermined load conditions, andthe other pair of socket means having characteristic surface contoursadapted to uncouple the connecting means under a second set ofpredetermined load conditions different from said first set.
 12. Abinding for releasably attaching a ski boot to a ski, comprising: a skiboot support member, manually releasable means for securely holding theski boot to the support member so that the sole of the ski boot abutsone side of the support member. first connecting means secured to theside of the support member opposite the boot, and said first connectingmeans being generally under the arch of the boot, second connectingmeans secured to the ski for holding the first connecting means inforward, backward, lateral or combined directions in accordance withload conditions, so that said ski boot with attached boot support memberseparates from the ski and attaching holding means, and a gap in saidsecond connecting means to accept therein said first connecting means,said gap spanning the width of said second connecting means and allowingdirect lateral separation of said first connecting means from saidsecond connecting means under predetermined load conditions, eachportion of said second connecting means adjacent said gap includingfulcrum means about which said first connecting means may pivot in thelateral direction.
 13. The binding of claim 12 where the ski boot memberis substantially coextensive with the sole of the ski boot.
 14. Thebinding of claim 13 where at least one of the underside of the supportmember and the tops of the second connecting means is coated with ananti-friction material.
 15. The binding of claim 12 where the releasablemeans holding the ski boot to the support member includes first andsecond flexible cable means respectively at the opposed ends of thesupport member, said first and second cable means respectively grippingthe toe and heel of the boot.
 16. The binding of claim 15 where thefirst cable means has a handle means connected thereto which is movablebetween locking and unlocking positions, said handle means in thelocking position being adjacent the instep of the boot and drawing thefirst cable means taut about the toe of the boot, and in the unlockingposition removing the tension on the first cable means so that the cablemeans becomes slack and its grip on the boot is released.
 17. Thebinding of claim 12 where the first connecting means includes socketmeans disposed in a zone directly below the arch of the boot, and saidsecond connecting means includes plunger means aligned with the socketmeans with spring means normally urging said plunger means intoengagement with the socket means, said spring means being compressedunder said predetermined load conditions to disengage the plunger meansfrom the socket means.
 18. The binding of claim 17 including a pair ofsocket means each of which is disposed inwardly from the end of the bootto which it is proximate a distance equal to at least one-third thetotal length of the boot.
 19. The binding of claim 18 where the socketmeans are disposed relative to each other a distance in the range offrom 1 1/2 to 3 inches.
 20. The binding of claim 18 where the distancebetween one socket means and the end of the boot to which said onesocket member is proximate about equals the distance between the othersocket means and the other end of the boot to which said other socketmeans is proximate.
 21. The binding of claim 17 where the socket means,plunger means, and spring means are aligned along a line which isdirectly above and parallel to the longitudinal center line of the ski.22. The binding of claim 21 where said line parallel to the center lineof the ski is from 1/4 to 1 inch above the upper surface of the ski. 23.The binding of claim 17 including at least two different andinterchangeable pairs of socket means, one pair of socket means havingcharacteristic surface contours adapted to uncouple the connecting meansunder a first set of predetermined load conditions, and the other pairof socket means having characteristic surface contours adapted touncouple the connecting means under a second set of predetermined loadconditions different from said first set.
 24. In combination a ski, agenerally flat ski boot support member substantially coextensive withthe sole of the ski boot and having at opposed ends means adapted togrip the toe and heel of a ski boot, a pivot member having a pair ofsockets therein and a width about equal to the length of the arch of theboot, said pivot member being secured to the boot support member in anunderside position opposite the arch of the ski boot so that both ofsaid socket means are in a zone directly beneath said arch, receivingmeans for the pivot member secured to the ski, said receiving meansincluding a pair of generally flat spaced connecting members whichdefine between them a gap having a width slightly greater than the widthof the pivot member and open sides adapted to receive the pivot memberby way of a side entry, said connecting members having a height at leastas great as the height of the pivot member so that with the pivot memberin the recess of the underside of the support members rests on the topsurfaces of said connecting members, and disposed within each of saidconnecting members, spring means and plunger means adapted to engage thesocket means, said spring means normally urging the plunger means intoengagement with their respective socket means to connect the pivotmember and the receiving means, and under predetermined load conditions,being depressed by the action of the pivot member turning due to saidload conditions to disconnect the pivot member from the receiving means.25. The combination of claim 24 where at least one of the underside ofthe boot support member and the top surface of the connecting means iscoated with an anti-friction material.
 26. The combination of claim 24where the means gripping the toe of the boot includes a flexible cableand a handle means connected thereto which is movable between lockingand unlocking positions, said handle means in the locking position beingadjacent the instep of the boot and drawing the cable taut about the toeof the boot, and in the unlocking position removing the tension on thecable so that the cable becomes slack and its grip on the boot isreleased.
 27. The combination of claim 24 where each socket means isdisposed inwardly from the end of the boot to which it is proximate adistance equal to at least one-third the total length of the boot. 28.The combination of claim 27 where the socket means are disposed relativeto each other a distance in the range of from 1 1/2 to 3 inches.
 29. Thecombination of claim 27 where the distance between one socket means andthe end of the boot to which said one socket member is proximate aboutequals the distance between the other socket means and the other end ofthe boot to which said other socket means is proximate.
 30. Thecombination of claim 24 where the socket means, plunger means and springmeans are aligned along a line which is directly above and parallel tothe longitudinal center line of the ski.
 31. The combination of claim 30where said line parallel to the center line of the ski is from 1/4 to 1inch above the upper surface of the ski.
 32. The combination of claim 24including at least two different and interchangeable pairs of socketmeans, one pair of socket means having characteristic surface contoursadapted to uncouple the connecting means under a first set ofpredetermined load conditions, and the other pair of socket means havingcharacteristic surface contours adapted to uncouple the connecting meansunder a second set of predetermined load conditions different from saidfirst set.
 33. A binding for releasably attaching a ski boot to a ski,comprising: a ski boot support member, manually releasable means forsecurely holding the ski boot to the support member so that the sole ofthe ski boot abuts one side of the support member, first connectingmeans secured to the ski, second connecting means secured to the side ofthe support member opposite the boot for holding the first connectingmeanS in forward, backward, lateral or combined directions in accordancewith load conditions, so that said ski boot with attached boot supportmember separates from the ski and attached holding means, and a gap insaid second connecting means to accept therein first connecting means,said gap spanning the width of second connecting means and allowingdirect lateral separation of said first connecting means from saidsecond connecting means under predetermined load conditions, eachportion of said second connecting means adjacent said gap includingfulcrum means about which said first connecting means may pivot in thelateral direction.
 34. In combination, a ski, a generally flat ski bootsupport member substantially coextensive with the sole of the ski bootand having an opposite ends means adapted to grip the toe and heel of aski boot, a pivot member having a pair of sockets therein and a widthabout equal to the length of the arch of the boot, said pivot memberbeing secured to the ski, receiving means for the pivot member securedto the boot support member in an underside position to hold the pivotmember opposite the arch of the ski boot so that both of the socketmeans are in a zone directly beneath the arch, said receiving meansincluding a pair of generally flat spaced connecting members whichdefine between them a gap having a width slightly greater than the widthof the pivot member and open sides adpated to receive the pivot memberby way of a side entry, said connecting members having a height at leastas great as the height of the pivot member so that with the pivot memberin the recess each of the connecting members rests on the top of the skisurface, and disposed within each of said connecting members, springmeans and plunger means adapted to engage the socket means, said springmeans normally urging the plunger means into engagement with theirrespective socket means to connect the pivot member and the receivingmeans, and under predetermined load conditions, being depressed by theaction of the pivot member turning due to said load conditions todisconnect the pivot member from the receiving means.
 35. A device forsecurely holding a ski boot comprising first and second means forgripping respectively the toe and heel of the boot to secure said boot,said first means gripping the toe of the boot including a flexible cableand elongated handle means, said handle means connected to said cable ata position near a first end of the handle means and which is movablebetween locking and unlocking positions, said handle means in thelocking position being adjacent the instep of the boot and longitudinaltherewith, and drawing the cable taut about the toe of the boot withsaid position serving as a first fulcrum point for rotation of saidhandle means with respect to said cable and said first end of the handlemeans serving as a second fulcrum point for rotation of said handlemeans about the toe of the boot, and said handle means in the unlockingposition removing the tension on the cable so that the cable becomesslack and its grip on the boot is released.
 36. The device of claim 35where the first and second means are attached to a sole plate memberwhich abuts and is substantially coextensive with the sole of the boot,said sole plate member being adapted to be releasably attached to a ski.37. The device of claim 35 where at least one of the first and secondmeans is adjustable to accommodate different sized ski boots.